Those competitors also are disappointed in the reaction of those questioning whether Stewart should race outside of Cup.

Many of them don’t moonlight as much as Stewart does – Stewart had hoped to do 100 races this year–but they often race in other events, whether it be NASCAR Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series events or stock-car events on short tracks around the country.

“I look at the coverage and opinions that are flying around and it’s troubled me some to see people giving him a hard time about his decisions to race other vehicles,” said five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

“We always praise him for his contributions to the motorsports world and his ability to drive and race anything and to own all these different types of vehicles.”

Stewart’s Eldora Speedway was renovated enough for NASCAR to bring a truck race there last month, a race that energized the NASCAR fan base.

“The guy has done so much for our sport and of course we don’t want to see him injured, but I’ve been disappointed that people have given him a hard time over it,” Johnson said.

“I personally praise him for all that he does for our sport, including driving sprint cars Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.”

All drivers have an approval process to compete outside of their Cup duties, Johnson said. Obviously with Stewart as a co-owner of his Cup team, he doesn’t have to get as many approvals.

“I’ve never had a sponsor restrict me from doing any extracurricular racing or an owner,” said Kurt Busch, who has driven for Penske Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Phoenix Racing and Furniture Row Racing. “They’ve just always said, ‘You’re 100 percent responsible if something does go wrong.’”

Drivers staunchly defended their decisions to race other vehicles.

“It’s a risk that you take,” Busch said. “It’s the fulfillment of life that you’re trying to enjoy. At the end of the day, who are we to judge what Tony is enjoying for life versus what he should be doing?”

Busch is working on a deal to run the IndyCar season finale in California in October. It would be the Saturday night prior to the race at Talladega.

“It’s making me think about how I can pattern and channel more things to look at and more things to put my mind at ease and to be better prepared for when I go and if I go,” Busch said.

Stewart said in June that his racing team takes all the safety measures it can with his car. He did not hit the wall in the crash, which occurred when he tried to avoid a spinning lapped car and his right rear wheel clipped the wheel of the lapped car, which sent Stewart into a flip.

The team has not released what broke Stewart’s leg. Speculation in the garage is that a piece of his car hit his leg.

“We’ve seen a lot in seat technology in that (sprint-car) series, but I think that we’re seeing this type of injury that’s happening from time to time with that torque tube and driveshaft being so exposed and the lightweight components,” said four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon.

Gordon, whose roots are in the same type of racing Stewart is doing throughout the week, also dismissed the criticism of Stewart.

“I tell him all the time when he goes and runs the sprint car races and wins or is competitive, I’m like, ‘Man, that’s awesome and that’s unbelievable,’” Gordon said.

“That’s because I couldn’t do that and I don’t choose to do that because of just different things that are happening in my life and the choice that I make.

“But I applaud him and definitely support him in that effort. It’s just unfortunate that this has happened.”

Brad Keselowski races other NASCAR series often but not as often as he used to. He doesn’t want to run restrictor-plate events because drivers don’t seem to slow down quick enough for accidents but beyond that, he doesn’t seem to have any qualms moonlighting in other NASCAR series.

“If getting injured is on that list (not to race), it’s way down that list. … For the most part, that is not an issue as far as running more or less races,” said Keselowski, who has won his last four Nationwide starts but has skipped nine races in that series over that three-month span.

“There’s different reasons for (running) each track and every week, so it’s hard to pick (a reason) but that’s at the very bottom of the list.”

Many drivers opt not to race in other series to have a resemblance of a home life amid the Cup obligations of racing and fulfilling sponsor needs.

“I’ve got two kids under 10,” said Marcos Ambrose, who is on the pole for the Cup race Sunday. “The bottom line is I’m trying to balance pleasure, work and family. NASCAR is a very heavy schedule and I want to make sure that when I have some days that aren’t directly involved in NASCAR competition that I spend it with my family.

“It’s a personal choice for me. … We all admire and respect Tony for who he is and what a racer he is.”